Study Links MDMA Use and Self-Reported Empathy
Users of the substance ‘MDMA’ are reported to have higher emotional empathy than users of other drugs.
US Government Proposes Stronger Rules for Disclosure of Medical Trial Results
The US government is proposing to toughen the rules governing medical trials involving human subjects, to help ensure the trials are registered in advance...
Not an Onion Study: Laughing Gas vs Air for Treatment of Depression
"Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, has shown early promise as a potential treatment for severe depression in patients whose symptoms don’t respond to standard therapies," stated a press release about a widely-reported study that was published in Biological Psychiatry. The press release also stated that over a third of the patients improved after being given air.
Drug Detailing More Influential than FDA Approval
FDA approvals are less influential on prescribing patterns than pharmaceutical sales marketers are, according to a study in Health Affairs. University of California and...
Antipsychotics for Poor Kids Soar, Mostly for Behavior Problems
Cross-sectional analysis by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University of 456,315 youths enrolled in Medicaid between 1997 and 2006 finds that the...
Placebo Effect—Not Antidepressants—Responsible for Depression Improvement
In adolescent depression treatment, those who received a placebo but thought they received Prozac improved more than those who received the drug and knew it.
Study Begins into Violence Against People with Mental Health Issues
A study into prejudice, hatred and violence directed against people with mental health issues is seeking public input.
Many States Trying to Slow Antipsychotic Prescribing to Children
Thirty-one US states have implemented some kind of "prior authorization" policies to try to rein in the unnecessary prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children.
European Medicines Agency Calls for Suspending Generic Forms of Four Common Psychiatric Drugs
The European Medicines Agency has called for the suspension of sales of many commonly used generic drugs, including at least four widely used psychiatric medications.
Psychology is Not What You Think: An Interview with Critical Psychologist Ian Parker
MIA’s Ayurdhi Dhar interviews Ian Parker about critical psychology, discourse and political action, and whether psychology has anything left to offer.
Almost No Nursing Homes Meet Federal Standards for Antipsychotic Use
The Office of the Inspector General finds that 99.5% of nursing facilities in the United States are non-compliant regarding federal regulations concerning antipsychotic use....
Case Study of Liberation Approach to International Mental Health Care
Study in Brazil demonstrates how the exploration of contextual determinants of distress in mental health care can inform therapeutic change.
Researchers Investigate Antidepressant-Induced Suicidal Ideation
An increase in suicidal thoughts is a known and serious side-effect for various types of antidepressants. Recent studies suggest that there may be some...
Adding Fluoxetine to Therapy Not Superior to Therapy Alone in Depressed Teens
The addition of fluoxetine to CBT did not further reduce depressive symptoms in young people with moderate-to-severe depression.
Resilience: its Psychology and Neurobiology
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica reviews the literature on psychological and biological findings on resilience, finding that secure attachment, the experience of positive emotions and having...
Compulsory Supervision Does Not Reduce Hospital Re-Admissions
A study of 442 individuals discharged from a U.K. hospital, published today in The Lancet, finds that the rate of readmission after 12 months...
Prescribers Often Fail to Support Patients Discontinuing Antidepressants, Study Finds
Study reveals most patients are dissatisfied with prescribers' support when discontinuing antidepressants.
Smartphones, Loneliness, and Depression in Teens
New study finds that smartphone use may precede experiences of loneliness and depressive symptoms among older teens according to longitudinal analysis.
Jury Awards $4M for Topamax Birth Defect
After an hour of deliberation, jurors decided that the anticonvulsant Topamax (topiramate) had, in fact, caused April Czimmer's son to be born with a...
Anesthetize People to Treat PTSD Symptoms?
"Breathing in xenon, a gas used in people for anesthesia, may help treat post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions linked with fear and anxiety,"...
Antidepressants Linked to Dementia
A study published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that the use of antidepressant drugs was associated with an...
Bringing Integrative Community Therapy to Pittsburgh: An Interview with Alice and Kenneth Thompson
Father and daughter Ken and Alice Thompson run the Visible Hands Collaborative, bringing Integrative Community Therapy to the US.
Antidepressants Plus Immune Response Terminate Pregnancies in Mice
Also, male mice born to mothers with an immune response exhibited “autistic-like” behaviors, scientists report.
Psychotropics Linked to Worse Physical Problems and Mortality in Psychiatric Patients
Common psychotropic medications may be contributing to the higher rates of physical illnesses and mortality in people diagnosed with mental illnesses.
Int’l Task Force Doesn’t Endorse Antidepressants for Bipolar
Noting a "striking incongruity between the wide use of and the weak evidence base for the efficacy and safety of antidepressant drugs in bipolar,"...
